Continuously operating centrifugal machine



Nov, 6, 1934. H. SCHULZ CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE Filed Feb. 25, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet Z-z ierffoZzz/z .10am? arm/j NW! 5, 11934, H, SCHULZ I 11,979,909

CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE Filed Feb. 25, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4/ (MA/1,1,, I

Patented Nov. 6, 1934 PATENT OFFICE CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING CENTRIFUGAL MAC Herbert Schulz,

HINE

Berlin, Germany Application February 25, 1932, Serial No. 594,987

In Germany 7 Claims.

My invention relates to a continuously operating centrifugal machine with a quickly rotated housing in which there is a drum which is slowly rotated perpendicularly to the housing axis and floats in a ring of liquid in such a manner during operation that the place of deposit of solid or heavier matter lies within the liquid and the place of discharge lies outside the liquid butwithin its ring and guides the solid matter continuously into the open whilst the liquid overflows. Separation of the housing from the drum by the ring of liquid renders it possible to raise the speed of the housing so high that wasteless and dry separation of the specifically heavier part takes place.

The liquid which escapes at a high velocity can serve as means of-propulsion of a motor for the purpose of recovering a considerable part of the power absorbed in rotating the centrifuge.

In the accompanying drawings a centrifugal 2|] dryer is shown.

Fig. l is an exterior front view, partly in section, of a dryer.

Fig. 2 is a view in section on line A--B of Figure 3.

Fig. 3 is a view in section on line CD of Figure 2.

Fig. 4 is a view in section on line (3-H of Figure 2.

Fig. 5 is a View in section on line E-F of Figure 2.

Fig. 6 is a view of the inlet end of a dryer. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view in section on a line which passes through the'place where the solid matter is deposited.

Fig. 8 is a view in section on line I-K of Figure 7.

Fig. 9 is a view in section .on line corresponding with line L-M of Figure '7.

In the drawings 1 is a housing which is journalled at 2 and 3 and is rotated by means of a strap pulley 4 at about 3000 to 5000 revolutions per minute in the direction of the arrow I. A shaft 5 extends through the housing 1 at the bearing 2 and has a bevel wheel 6 around which a bevel wheel '7 rolls because the shaft 5 is held stationary externally whilst the housing 1 is in rotation together with a float 34 in which the bevel wheel 7 is mounted.

A pinion 8 is mounted on the shaft of the bevel wheel 7 and meshes with a spur wheel 9 provided on a shaftwhich carries pinions 10 in mesh with toothed rings 12 provided on a drum 11. The drum 11 is caused by the hereinbefore described gearing to rotate at about 5 revolutions per minute in the direction indicated by the March 2, 1931 arrow II. The drum 11 rotates on'the shaft 13 which turn in bearings 14 provided on the housing 1 and having about 2 millimeters play in all directions. The quick rotation of the drum round the centrifugal axis in the direction of the arrow I is produced by the shaft 13 being carried round by the bearings 14, and owing to the engagement of the pinions 10 with the toothed rings 12 the float 34 also has the same movement imparted to it.

An inlet 15 for the liquid to be centrifugalled extends into the drum 11 and is journalled in the housing 1 at the bearing 3 and rests on the shaft 13 bymeans of journals 16 and is positioned by means of rings 1'7. The inlet 15 terminates in four outlets 18, see Figures 2, 4, 7, and 9.

The outlets 18 face cells 19 which are provided on the inner periphery of the drum 11 and are enclosed on the one hand by the wall of the drum and on the other hand by an overflow wall 20 which permits the liquid to pass over its top to the ring of water.

The cells 19, where the solid matter deposits itself, have outwardly directed apertures which serve for the escape of the solid matter and are closed by means of periodically opened flaps 21. Owing to the positions of their centres of gravity the flaps, during each rotation of the drum 11 on the shaft 13, act to swing between the open and shut positions in each quadrant and are held by means of a track 22 and wheels 23 in the closed position until shortly open places 39. At these places the solid or heavier matter flies out of the 1 cells 19 through canals 24 in an outward direction and is caught by channels 25.

The surplus liquid is thrown from the housing 1 through slits 26 and impinges on paddles 2'1 of a wheel 28 which is mounted between rollers 29 and gives up its energy through a toothed ring 30 to a transmission gear 31 which acts on the housing '1 by the aid of a toothed wheel 32. The periphery of the paddle wheel 28 is enclosed in collecting casing 37 which serves to carry the rollers 29 and has an outlet 38.

The drum 11 is provided with floats 33 which effect an automatically centralizing compensation in the housing 1 because the drum floats in the liquid to be treated and the shaft 13 has play in the bearings 14 for this purpose. The transmission gearing 6-l0 can also be balanced by means of a float 34 in the liquid ring, because the stationary shaft 5 is connected to the journal 35- by a flexible connection 36.

The mixture containing solid bodies of higher specific gravities than the liquid arrives through the inlet 15 and the four outlets 18 in the depositing places of the drum 11. To form the liquid ring between the housing and the floats, the pure liquid from a mixture which is to be subjected to centrifugal action is used and the machine is allowed to run at about half its normal speed whilst this pure liquid is run into it. As soon as the pure liquid commences to flow from the apertures26, the speed of the machine is increased to normal and the mixture is allowed to enter it, whereupon the solid matter of which, owing to the rotation of the'drum on the shaft 13, passes constantly from the'depositing points 40 through the liquid ring by way of the cells 19 to the discharging places 39. In order that the solid matter can escape onlyat the places 39, the flaps 21 are kept shut by the tracks 22 until they arrive at the discharging places. The 'flaps 21 when closed have a clearance at the-.point-s 41 and 42 in order to permit an automatic balancing of the drum by the liquid ring even when the flaps are closed.

The energy of the discharged liquid is equal to the energy used in driving the machineless the energy of the solid or heavier matter thrown out and is about ths of the total energy. The efliciency losses in the turbine are about ths, and therefore about fi ths can be saved in power.

.Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. A continuously operating centrifugal machine, comprising a housing, means connected with said housing for quickly rotating the same, a drum within said housing, the axis of rotation of said drum crossing the axis of rotation of said housing, cells formed on the periphery of said drum and having outwardly directedopen-ings, means cooperating with said openings for closing themat certainpositions of the drum and opening them at other positionsof said drum, means for slowly rotating said drum, and means for discharging solid matter and superfluous liquid out of said housing.

2.- A continuously operating centrifugal machine, comprising a housing, means connected with said housing for quickly rotating the same, a drum within said housing, the axis of rotation of said drum crossing the axis ofrotation of said housing,'cells formed on the periphery of said drum, an annular body of liquid situated between said drum and said housing, a transmission gearing connected with said drum for slowly rotating the same, a water tight shell surrounding said gearing and at least partly surrounded-by said liquid, a plurality of depositing zonesin said v liquid,- means for discharging solid matter out of said liquid, the last-mentioned means corresponding in number to the number of said zones, and means for'discharging solid matter and superfluous liquid out of said housing;

3. A continuously operating centrifugal machine, comprising a housing, means connected with said housing for quickly rotating the same, a drum within said housing, the axis of rotation of said drum crossing the axis of rotation of said housing, cells formed on the periphery of said drum, an annular body of liquid situated between said drum and said housing, means for slowly rotating said drum, a plurality of depositing zones in said liquid, means for discharging solid matter out of said liquid, the last-mentioned means corresponding in number to the number of said zones, means for discharging superfluous liquid out of said housing, and passages projecting through the liquid body for removing the solid matter.

4. A, continuously operating centrifugal machine, comprising a housing, means connected with said housing for quickly rotating the same, a drum within said housing, the axis of rotation of said drum crossing the axis of rotation of said housing, cells formed on the periphery of said drum, an annular body of liquid situated between said-drum and said housing, a float, a transmissiongearing within said float, said transmission gearing'being connected with said drum for slowly rotating the same, a plurality of depositing zones in said liquid, means for discharging solid -matt er'o1rt of said liquid, the last-mentioned means corresponding in number to the number of said zones, and means for discharging solid matter and superfluous liquid out of said housing.

5. A continuously operating centrifugal machine, comprising a housing, means connected with said housing for quickly rotating the same, a drum within said housing, the axis of rotation of said drum crossing at a right angle the axis of rotation of said housing, an overflow wall, said overflow wall and the outer surface of said drum forming a plurality of sections, an inlet for the liquid, said inlet extending into said housing, a plurality of outlets connected with said inlet and facing said sections, and means for discharging solid matter and superfluous liquid out of said housing.

.6. A continuously operating centrifugal machine, comprising a housing, means connected with saidhousing for quickly rotating the same, a drum within said housing, the' axis of rotation of said drum crossing at a right angle the axis of rotation of said housing, cells formed on the periphery of said drum, apertures formed in said cells, flaps closing said cells and carried by said drum, an annular body of liquid situated between said drum and said housing, means for slowly rotating said drum, a plurality of depositing zones being provided in said liquid, means carried by said housing and cooperating with said flaps in closed positions while they pass through the depositing zones, means for discharging solid matter out of said liquid, the last-mentioned means corresponding in number to the number of said zones, and means for discharging solid matter and superfluous liquid out of said housing.

7. A continuously operating centrifugal machine, comprisinga housing, means connected with said housing for quickly rotating the same, a drum within said housing, the axis of rotation of said drum crossing the axis of rotation of said housing, cells formed on the periphery of said drum, apertures formed in said cells, flaps closing said cells and carried by said drum, guide tracks within said casing, ollers connected with said flaps and in contact with said guide tracks, an annular body of liquid situated between said drum and said housing, means for slowly rotating said :drum, means for discharging solid matter out of said liquid, the last-mentioned means corresponding in number to the number of said zones, and means for discharging solid matter and superfluous liquid out of said housing.

HERBERT SCHULZ. 

